Joystick button opening windows settings pages

[wakevortex]

Hi there
BIZARRE happenings..I use VA for DCS in VR via Steam , and have a joystick button from a thrustmaster t16000M assigned to talk to VA

This same joystick button is also assigned to MUTE skype when held down, so my colleagues dont hear the VA commands when im talking to VA
After some time playing DCS , and window focus has been lost a few times  -which it does each time I press PTT with the DCS page showing "window not in focus", - (this comes back as long as the speech is recognized) ..if not I have to manually reset focus in the DCS window.. ( I use f1 cockpit view on a VA command to get it back )
 
Pressing that same Joystick button after a while NOW opens the settings page for windows magnifier!!  its repeatable and wont go away until I quit and restart VA..I have no idea why its happening, and it only seems to trigger after a few losses of focus in DCS.
Even if I quit DCS after this happens , it still sends the command to open windows magnifier settings page..
It also seems to be sending windows crazy, like  a key is held down, as various letter keys open other bizarre windows pages UNTIL  VA is restarted..

I've looked it up and cant see any key command assigned to that page in windows..

I hope that made some kind of sense !

anyone with any ideas?

thanks in advance !
Bill P

[Pfeil]

Are you using any third-party addons? VAICOM PRO perhaps?

Does stopping all commands (E.G. using the button on VoiceAttack's main window) affect this?


Windows Magnifier has a keyboard shortcut: Win-+ (either the regular key with a "+" character, or numpad "+", either works).
Chances are the profile you are using is causing one or more keys (including the Windows key) to be held down.

[wakevortex]

No third party addons in DCS like VIACOM.. a few shader things but nothing that ought to get in the way of a key command..
will investigate what you suggest about stopping all commands next time it happens.
oddly its not windows magnifier that's opening, its the SETTINGS page for windows magnifier, hence why its so bizarre !
thanks for the fast reply.. will report back tomorrow when I have a chance to test !
I'm using Baileys FA18 profile v2.2  in VA for DCS if it helps :-)

thanks again !

Bill P

[wakevortex]

It seems one OF  the main issues is that on issuing ANY command to VA, it responds in DCS with
"window is out of focus" in orange..  this ONLY returns focus back to DCS if the command is recognized..
if it isn't for whatever reason , focus stays outside DCS and all hell breaks loose as random commands seem to be  issued to windows, but its ALWAYS that same page that comes up eventually  ...MAGNIFIER SETTINGS (not the actual magnifier itself)  this it seems  is getting called by CTRL M (which I have assigned to Skype mute when joystick recognition button is pressed)
But all kinds of other windows commands are then  invoked by a keypress almost like another master windows key is held down..
I can ONLY recover this by quitting VA

Is there any way to stop VA removing focus from DCS when a command is NOT recognized, or better still , not removing the focus at all?
Thanks

Bill P

[Pfeil]

VoiceAttack by default does not change the active (focused) window, nor does it open the settings app (let alone a specific section of it).

If the profile you're using is instructing VoiceAttack to do so, that would be something you'd need to ask the profile author about.


I believe there is contact information in the PDF that comes with that profile.

[wakevortex]

Oh thats interesting, so you are saying the profile must be calling the switch out of focus in DCS for some reason?
will investigate that and contact the author then .
I had added a second profile of my own linked to this one for some additional commands.. ... maybe I will see what happens when ONLY running mine and not Baileys...
thanks for the lead, will continue investigating !

Bill P

[wakevortex]

The plot thickens

the same thing happens using ANY VA profile in DCS, even a non DCS profile..

Issuing a joystick PTT takes focus from DCS  while the joystick is pressed and doesn't return it unless its recognized by VA
I'm using a thrustmaster T16000M as PTT and also using a profile specific command in DCS profile(ctrl M)  to mute skype while issuing a command (pic attached)

So  it looks like something else is going on, and its not the specific profile.
any ideas?

thanks again..going nuts here !

Bill P

[Pfeil]

Your command is switching focus to Skype...

Windows sends normal keyboard input to whichever window has focus. In order to send input to a specific window, VoiceAttack must bring that window into focus.

[wakevortex]

Surely I have to direct that command to skype in order for the mute to work? 
problem is it doesn't then come  back to DCS ....how can I get round that , or somehow remain in DCS focus while muting skype?

thanks  !

Bill P

[Pfeil]

According to Skype's documentation, no, you don't.
Skype uses global hotkeys, which do not require the application('s window) to have focus (and are enabled by default).

Setting the command to target the active window (or any other window, for that matter, as long as it doesn't belong to an application running as administrator; if your profile doesn't override targeting, you could just uncheck the "Send command to this target:" option entirely), should still allow the hotkey to function

[wakevortex]

aaaah ... thats promising...will try that and report back here..

its MUCH appreciated..

Bill P

[wakevortex]

Fabulous...that solves the out of focus beautifully... SO grateful..!!

One last issue... while in VR mode in DCS and looking on the desktop  to check a key command  in VA...the keyboard will not type stuff into the filter box of VA in the profile edit page , instead doing the weird windows shortcut thing again... I have to restart VA to get control back..
so if I type   W for example..the windows whiteboard launches !
any ideas on this one.. I tried looking in notepad and nothing weird seems to be sent... its as if windows has grabbed a focus for shortcuts of some sort
Again..restarting VA fixes it

[Pfeil]

Win-W opens the "whiteboard" app; the Windows key is being held down. If this also happens with your own profile, make sure your press actions have a matching release action.

E.G. if you use

Code: [Select]

Press down Left Win key
you also need something like

Code: [Select]

Release Left Win key
to make sure the key isn't held down.


Shutting down VoiceAttack will release the key, however VoiceAttack is not actively holding it down (the Windows keyboard system assumes whichever state it received last is the current state).

Stopping all commands should also stop the effect, as it explicitly releases all keys (to make sure none remain pressed when a command is stopped while it's pressing a key), including any you may be physically holding down on your keyboard.

[wakevortex]

aaah - so in a profile setting like this (attached)
I would have to have

Press down right win key
pause 0.30 seconds
release right win key ?

do I have to do that for any instances of a win key...seems a long job potentially to seek them out and change them all in every game profile !

[Pfeil]

Any command where a press action does not have a corresponding release action, yes (if that is the end of the action list for the command shown, you have two keys that are not released, as the ", <" key is also pressed).

You could use the list filter to search for "win key", to try and narrow it down somewhat


If the keypress consists of one or more modifier and/or a single regular key, you could also consider merging those into a single action
E.G. rather than something like

Code: [Select]

Press down Right Ctrl key
Press , < key and hold for 0.1 seconds and release
Release Right Ctrl key
you could use something like

Code: [Select]

Press Right Ctrl+, < keys and hold for 0.1 seconds and release
unless your target application explicitly needs extra delays between those keys.

[wakevortex]

Thanks again for the very helpful explanation ..I will have some work to do then I think !

Is there a "release all keys " that I could simply add at the end of my commands to cover them all?

really appreciate the great support

all the best

Bill P

[Pfeil]

There is no action that only releases all keys, no.

The "Make VoiceAttack Stop Processing All Commands" action releases all keys, just like clicking the main window button or using the hotkey would, but that obviously also stops any running commands, as well as producing a sound (assuming you haven't disabled that option) and a log entry.